Editing Verisign (section)

== History ==
[[File:VeriSign.svg|thumb|Historical logo]]
Verisign was founded in 1995 as a spin-off of the [[RSA Security]] certification services business. The new company received licenses to key cryptographic patents held by RSA (set to expire in 2000) and a time-limited non-compete agreement. The new company served as a [[certificate authority]] (CA) and its initial mission was "providing trust for the Internet and [[Electronic Commerce]] through our Digital Authentication services and products". Prior to selling its certificate business to [[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]] in 2010, Verisign had more than 3 million certificates in operation for everything from military to financial services and retail applications, making it the largest CA in the world.

In 2000, Verisign acquired [[Network Solutions]] for $21billion,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2000/03/07/deals/verisign/|title=Verisign acquires Network Solutions for $21B - Mar. 7, 2000|website=money.cnn.com|access-date=April 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110412050645/http://money.cnn.com/2000/03/07/deals/verisign/|archive-date=April 12, 2011|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> which operated the {{mono|[[.com]]}}, {{mono|[[.net]]}} and {{mono|[[.org]]}} TLDs under agreements with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ([[ICANN]]) and the [[United States Department of Commerce]]. Those core registry functions formed the basis for Verisign's naming division, which by then had become the company's largest and most significant business unit.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/verisign-boosts-profit-23-on-revenue-margins-2013-07-25 |title=VeriSign boosts profit 23% on revenue, margins |last=Kell |first=John |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=25 July 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801002719/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/verisign-boosts-profit-23-on-revenue-margins-2013-07-25 |archive-date=August 1, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> In 2002, Verisign was charged with violation of the [[Securities Exchange Act]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2002/05/16/287348/27557/en/The-Emerson-Firm-Announces-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Against-VeriSign-Inc-on-Behalf-of-Investors-VRSN.html |title=The Emerson Firm Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against VeriSign Inc. on Behalf of Investors — VRSN |date=May 16, 2002 |access-date=Jul 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140807092458/http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2002/05/16/287348/27557/en/The-Emerson-Firm-Announces-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Against-VeriSign-Inc-on-Behalf-of-Investors-VRSN.html |archive-date=August 7, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Verisign divested the Network Solutions retail ([[domain name registrar]]) business in 2003 for $100million, retaining the [[domain name registry]] (wholesale) function as its core Internet addressing business.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.technewsworld.com/story/commerce/31890.html?wlc=1302619669|title=VeriSign To Sell Network Solutions, Exit Registrar Business - News - TechNewsWorld|website=www.technewsworld.com|date=October 17, 2003 |access-date=April 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318100747/http://www.technewsworld.com/story/commerce/31890.html?wlc=1302619669|archive-date=March 18, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

For the year ended December 31, 2010, Verisign reported revenue of $681 million, up 10% from $616 million in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://investor.verisign.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=546077|title=VERISIGN REPORTS 10% YEAR-OVER-YEAR REVENUE GROWTH IN 2010|access-date=April 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102032454/https://investor.verisign.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=546077|archive-date=November 2, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Verisign operates two businesses, Naming Services, which encompasses the operation of top-level domains and critical Internet infrastructure, and Network Intelligence and Availability (NIA) Services, which encompasses DDoS mitigation, managed DNS and threat intelligence.

On August 9, 2010, [[NortonLifeLock|Symantec]] completed its approximately $1.28 billion acquisition of Verisign's authentication business, including the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate Services, the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Services, the Verisign Trust Services, the Verisign Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service, and the majority stake in Verisign Japan. The deal capped a multi-year effort by Verisign to narrow its focus to its core infrastructure and security business units.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/symantec-acquires-verisign-for-1-28-billion/|title=Symantec Acquires VeriSign for $1.28 Billion|last=Dealbook|date=August 10, 2010 |access-date=March 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180302044741/https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/symantec-acquires-verisign-for-1-28-billion/|archive-date=March 2, 2018|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Following ongoing controversies regarding Symantec's handling of certificate validation, which culminated in [[Google]] untrusting Symantec-issued certificates in its [[Google Chrome|Chrome web browser]], Symantec sold this unit to [[DigiCert]] in 2017 for $950 Million.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Raymond |first1=Art |title=Lehi's DigiCert swallows web security competitor in $1 billion deal |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865686081/Lehis-DigiCert-swallows-web-security-competitor-in-1-billion-deal.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804015937/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865686081/Lehis-DigiCert-swallows-web-security-competitor-in-1-billion-deal.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 4, 2017 |access-date=21 May 2020 |work=Deseret News |date=3 August 2017}}</ref>

On 14 December 2021, the Ministry of Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs of the Tuvalu Government announced on Facebook that they have selected [[GoDaddy|GoDaddy Registry]] as the new registry service provider for the domain after Verisign did not participate in the renewal process.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Allemann |first=Andrew |date=2021-12-14 |title=GoDaddy wins contract to run .TV, Verisign didn't bid for renewal |url=https://domainnamewire.com/2021/12/14/godaddy-wins-contract-to-run-tv-verisign-didnt-bid-for-renewal/ |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=Domain Name Wire {{!}} Domain Name News |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2011, Verisign was selected by the [[General Services Administration]] (GSA) to operate the registry services for the {{mono|[[.gov]]}} top-level domain.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lipowicz |first1=Alice |title=GSA selects VeriSign to manage .gov domain name registry |url=https://gcn.com/cloud-infrastructure/2011/02/gsa-selects-verisign-to-manage-gov-domain-name-registry/283030/ |access-date=16 January 2023 |work=GCN |date=3 February 2011}}</ref> They continued to operate {{mono|[[.gov]]}} service until 2023, when [[Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]] (CISA) chose [[Cloudflare]] to replace Verisign as the .gov operator.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Kevin |title=Verisign loses prestige .gov contract to Cloudflare |url=https://domainincite.com/28517-verisign-loses-prestige-gov-contract-to-cloudflare |access-date=16 January 2023 |work=DomainIncite |date=16 January 2023}}</ref>

Verisign's share price tumbled in early 2014, hastened by the U.S. government's announcement that it would "relinquish oversight of the Internet's domain-naming system to a non-government entity".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rttnews.com/2287346/verisign-inc-vrsn-pulled-back-after-government-transition.aspx |title=VeriSign Inc. (VRSN) Pulled Back After Government Transition |date=18 March 2014 |access-date=12 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413150402/http://www.rttnews.com/2287346/verisign-inc-vrsn-pulled-back-after-government-transition.aspx |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Ultimately ICANN chose to continue VeriSign's role as the root zone maintainer and the two entered into a new contract in 2016.